Los Angeles County supervisors have approved a $10,000 reward for information leading to whoever fatally shot Eric Washington, a 37-year-old community violence intervention advocate gunned down while trying to break up a fight at a Fourth of July party inside a Compton apartment complex. More than two months later, his killer has not been identified or arrested.
A Deadly Moment Inside a Gated Complex
Washington was shot around 11:20 p.m. on July 4 at the New Wilmington Arms Apartments, according to MyNewsLA.com, which reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detailed the circumstances of the shooting. Washington was attempting to de-escalate an altercation during the party when the gunfire erupted, the outlet reported. County supervisor Holly Mitchell asked the Board of Supervisors to approve the reward offer, describing Washington as a devoted community leader, mentor, and public servant, per the same account.
Investigators have since clarified that the July 4 gathering actually involved two distinct shootings just moments apart. According to the City of Compton, Washington and another man were shot inside the gated complex, while 19-year-old UNLV nursing student Meah Bordenave-Jenkins was killed and two teenage girls were wounded outside on Laurel Street as partygoers fled. The distinction matters: the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged 54-year-old Antoine Jones with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Laurel Street shooting that killed Bordenave-Jenkins, but Washington's shooter inside the complex remains unidentified and at large, the DA's office said. Jones was also under investigation by the Anaheim Police Department for an unrelated car-to-car shooting on June 29, 2026, and was a convicted felon, according to CBS Los Angeles.
A Career Built Around Preventing Violence Like This
Washington served as a field deputy for California Assemblymember Mike Gipson, and had also worked for former Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, per MyNewsLA.com. Gipson said Washington represented California's 64th District and was trying to de-escalate a conflict when the shooting erupted, the outlet reported. Washington worked with the Watts Gang Task Force and the Watts Rising Collaborative, connecting residents to vital resources, and he was part of the Watts Rising initiative alongside the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
At the time of his death, Washington worked as a Community Engagement Manager for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, where he conducted door-to-door outreach in low-income housing developments to link residents with social services, jobs, and violence intervention programs, according to The Guardian. HACLA extended condolences to Washington's family, friends, colleagues, and communities, per MyNewsLA.com. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described Washington as a devoted public servant who invested in young people and families across Los Angeles, while Lourdes Castro Ramírez said he led with kindness, compassion, and commitment to serving others, the outlet reported.
Roots in Compton and HBCU Education
Washington held an associate degree in political science from El Camino College Compton Center, a bachelor's degree in constitutional law from the University of North Texas, and a Master of Public Administration from Grambling State University, where he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., according to HBCU Buzz. MyNewsLA.com reported that Washington was a member of the fraternity and worked to save Black and brown boys in the community, especially against gun violence, inspiring young people and helping build stronger communities across Watts, Compton, and beyond.
Posthumous Honors From the Rams to Sacramento
The Los Angeles Rams posthumously named Washington their fourth pLAymaker of the 2026 NFL season on August 28, recognizing his civic leadership and community engagement work across underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods, according to the Los Angeles Rams. Earlier that month, the California State Assembly formally adjourned its legislative session in Sacramento in his memory, following a tribute delivered on the Assembly floor by Gipson. Community leaders also established the Eric Washington Community Impact Award in July to support young leaders in South Los Angeles who continue his focus on youth mentorship and community safety, per California News Today.
A Violent Holiday Weekend Across Compton
Washington's death came during a violent Fourth of July weekend in Compton. Sheriff's homicide detectives were simultaneously investigating a separate, unrelated block party shooting on July 5 in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue that killed 30-year-old Thaddeus Clark and wounded another adult, according to the City of Compton. The New Wilmington Arms Apartments, an 11-acre complex with more than 160 units, has its own troubled history: a January 1999 shooting at its guardhouse killed two security guards and critically injured two others, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. Hoodline previously tied a Roy Campanella Park death to the same holiday weekend of violence that left three people dead across separate Compton gatherings.
Anyone with information on Washington's killing is asked to contact the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted at lacrimestoppers.org.
